[quote name=‘snorocket’]Marketing Manager is obsolete and would never be able to fulfill the already stellar capabilities of CS.[/quote]
In some aspects ok, but I have yet to see where they blow them out of the water all together.
If I had options of taking their present reports or marketing manager, I would go for marketing manager.
Reason being is I use ALL of the mods incorporated in marketing manager all of the time. eMailing personal notes to customers based on products purchased, amounts purchased, categories purchased from, watching wish list and shooting specials to them based on that. Ability to shoot out eBay listings with a push of the button based on my entire product catalog.
Nope, CSCart is nowhere close to covering all of these aspects right now. There has to be more than a simple pie chart to get me excited as I am a numbers guy.
I need data and results. Now I am not knocking what they have done to date, and applaud them for the cost, lol. But there is a lot more work to be done to their capabilities to overcome marketing manager.
AND I will throw the xcart analyzer mod into the mix also. That is another awesome mod that I use every day.
Trust me, I am on the same wagon as you. I like CSCart, it is my new home, but I want to have at the minimum, the same capabilities I HAD in other stores and so far, I am missing a ton of capabilities.
IF they continue to listen, I am sure at some point, they WILL surpass all of the mods we just spoke of, but until then, there needs to be work done.
I looked sat the screenshots and there are limited capabilities on reporting. Same info available, so there needs to be more on the harvesting side and then we will be ok.
That is why I said I would offer a list, to ensure ALL of those aspects were looked at.
Now I have to be honest on both sides of the fence and say, there are no pie charts or display reports such as this on marketing managers side, but if I needed them, I could easily generate them with another program with the required data input.
I hope this cart incorporates ALL of the capabilities I now have into it to enable me to move ALL of my stores over to this platform. Every day I am forced to remain with those loosers it chaps me even more, but I simply cannot move and loose people over lost capabilities in my store.
Same as taking candy away from a baby on my opinion. They don’t like it, lol.
I do like where this cart is headed though. It is really close to being something special with help form al of us as long as CSCart support keeps listening and adding our required capabilities.
Good job so far!
Also, let me know where to post that list of items and I will take the time to make a list.
I think if everyone reads it, they will agree that there are a lot of additional capabilities that are required and great to have in order to say you have a complete business practical back end.
I will also say I do NOT have all of the answers and there are also other aspects I am sure others have that I will smile about and like to incorporate as well. It is just a list of items I use on a daily routine and have used to take hobbies and turn them into businesses with.
So trust me when I say I am NOT a know it all. I learn new things every day, and I try to stay honest with myself too.
If I need to grow or need to do better, I try to recognize that and build on it.
This place has proven the ability to do that so far, and I think with growth it will become even more than it is.
That is why I am proud to be a prt of it and tell everyone I know of to come here, good things are happening and they need to ba a part of it all too,.
As far as generating reports, like pie graphs…this could be done outside of cs cart too…
anyone who knows sql could write them…
Just pointing out the other side of the argument…
If cs cart comes out with a reporting tool…I’d be more than happy to work on writing some reports, as I am a database guy by trade…
ET, you just let me know where to post that list and i will be glad to do so.
Especially if you can write this stuff, I want to make sure all of these features are part of cscart.
Like I said, I use these tools al of the time and was not knocking what was said or show, I just think there is a lot of room to grow and am excited to see this is being incorporated into the cart right now.
Just as a side not, i contacted xcart plus and they said they would be happy to look at the platofrm to see if they can easily rewrite the mod to work over here too.
Now that is such an awesome mod, I paid for it easily the first day I had it installed.
Watch what is placed into carts, if person leaves and does not make purchase, it allows you to send as coupon to them, set an expriation date and a note. This has pulled many people bacl to make a sale where they would be lost otherwise.
They also said there were plans to add to capabilities and would like to add them to this mod too.
Any chanve you have to speak to customer first ame basis wise and talk of products purchased, looked at or thought of, is a super plus and DOES lead to sales. With the cart analyzer, it allows you to make that sale sooner than later. I usually am able to close the sale with a small 5% discount coupon. Now saying this, sometimes withthe size of the order, i also offer free shipping and if it is a choice between free shipping and a 5% coupon, they usually choose the free shipping. That is the funny part. The 5% coupon pulls them in to make the sale and then they throw it waway and opt for free shipping.
Just FYI, my cart does not allow then to use but one coupon. free shipping OR discount coupon, so they must make a choice.
Anyway, thougt I would mention it to you.
[quote]
I use ALL of the mods incorporated in marketing manager all of the time. eMailing personal notes to customers based on products purchased, amounts purchased, categories purchased from, watching wish list and shooting specials to them based on that. Ability to shoot out eBay listings with a push of the button based on my entire product catalog.
[/quote]
I would also like to see those capabilities eventually incorporated into CS-Cart. To be honest, when I was originally considering X-Cart, it was all of the features in the Marketing Manager software that sold me on the system. Unfortunately, I never got far enough to use it.
[quote]
If cs cart comes out with a reporting tool…I’d be more than happy to work on writing some reports
[/quote]
Same here… I will be writing reports whether they come out with a reporting tool or not. It is a critical feature for my business. I am hoping that the CS-Cart functionality will act as the framework to write all of the custom reports that software like Marketing Manager offers.
Well, I will be watcing you two for a long time then. You guys just let me know where you want that list if items and i will forward them over.
I will also let you know about the progress of the cart analysis mod too. I think everyone will like that mod. It makes tons of sales.
I know your not knocking it…but someone who doesnt know you and just read what you wrote, may take it differently…
i just wanted to post the “other” side of the argument…
I think cs cart is on the right track, and while MM maybe great, its a whole nother level of complexity for install, license verification, upgrades, etc…
having that built in , is a major PLUS! and at no additional cost.
Well, I guess it could have done so if you did not know where I have been coming from for a while.
I just don’t want a lot of complacency to hit us when there is SO much more thic cart can do.
While it is great in a lot of areas, there are some points that really need to be shored up. If we do not say so, we will do ourselves a disservice for sure.
One point that I have made, and you just made was the cost of the additional capabilities.
LOL, marketing manager cost $200 from outside modder and looks like CSCart is trying to add this capability to the core product for what? Unlike other places for additional funds, CSCart remains diligent in offering these added capabilities in the core product for one single price, and that is the license fee, lol.
Can’t beat that eh?
You two just let me know how to post info for you as I would love to be able to contribute, but cannot do the heavy code lifting, but have tons of ideas and thoughts of function from personal past experiance.
Looks like 1.3.3 is being pushed back a bit to make sure that they iron all the bugs out…we all dont want to deal with a sitution like Xcart 4.1.
Expected date is May 2-4.
yea Xcrap 4.1 bombed the first day out, very happy to have sold my licenses…
Any ideas on where I can sell my LiteCommerce license?
Try the litecommerce/xcart forums…
[quote name=‘ETInteractive’]Try the litecommerce/xcart forums…[/QUOTE]
Just don’t tell them why you’re selling them. 
Today is 05/02/06. When 1.3.3 out???!!!
I believe the expected release date is May 3-4.
Best to be patient and give them time to get it right.
Mike
Whenever its ready
I for one am happy to wait for a robust upgrade.
No point rushing people, cos youll only complain when you find a bug.
The only thing that blows for me is I will not have support once it gets released, lol. I have not done squat with this platform yet as I was waiting on the new release…
hmmm, twidling thumbs… watching support clock… eyes heavy…
They are resonable guys, speak to them about this and come to an arrangement.